The Summer Solctice
by The Demonic Heiress
Summary: This is a story about the most powerful Basque witch and her adventure to avenge her ancestor. Nike Hecate is a seventeen year old girl who is learning just how dangerous her destiny is.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Years ago, in the early seventeenth century, before the Salem witch trials were even an idea, there was the Basque witch trials in northern Spain. Thousands were tortured until they were so beaten and bloody that they confessed to being a witch just to get away from the pain, even if they didn't have a spark of magic in their bodies. Eleven women, however, were burnt at the stake in the Zugarramurdi caves.

One of the women who were burnt was Maria, the leader of the Basque witch coven. She was the most powerful of the Basque witches so she was famous among the people. This ended up giving her a lot of trouble later on. The Spanish Inquisition could not afford to allow her to continue living and reproduce to create even more powerful witches, so they made sure she was the first to turn to ash.

What the Spanish Inquisition- as well as everyone else- didn't know was the fact that one month before the torturing in the Basque country had begun; Maria gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The only one who knew about this was Maria's best friend, Serafina, who had helped her with the delivery. When Maria got arrested, she made Serafina promise to raise the child and keep it safe, teaching her the ways that Lurdes had lived by.

As Maria stood on a pile of wood and was fastened against a large wooden pillar, she swore that she would be avenged and that her brothers and sisters who had been tortured would be avenged as well. She cursed the Spanish Inquisition and said that her reign would be back and the Hecate line would not end.

Months turned into years and the years turned into centuries. Serafina raised Maria's daughter as her own but once the witch trials were finally a thing in the past, Serafina told her who her true mother was and what she was meant to do to help avenge her mother. Maria's daughter, though, chose not to take back her name in order to keep the Spanish Inquisition away until the time was right. Years later, my great grandmother took the last name of Hecate- the goddess of magic- when she boarded a ship and headed across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States.

Eighty years and three generations later is where I come along, seventeen year old Nike Hecate. It is now only my mother, Carmen and I living in our manor in San Diego, California. We are the last of the Hecate's for now. I was marked by Lurdes when I was born. I bear her markings my mother says. My flame shaped birthmark on my right forearm is proof of that. It is Maria's way of saying that I will be the one to avenge her. My mother always told me that I was destined for something bigger than myself. I just don't see why it has to be me.

My mom has retired her magic to a more practical form. She mainly uses her powers to get money by reading people's fortunes. I use my powers for tactics. I have been learning and creating my attacking and defense spells and potions for most of my life. Mother handed down our family's Book of Shadows down to me on my sixteenth birthday. She has had me studying that book ever since I was little and now that she has handed it down to me, it is serious.

This is serious, but how exactly does Maria want me to avenge her?


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I sat in one of the many chairs that had been placed on the ground at the stadium of my high school. The custodians had brought out a small stage that faced me and the rest of my senior class. We were all matching in our navy blue gowns and silver stoles. Some of the students had different cords on to represent graduating with honors or graduating as part of the National Honors Society. The Valedictorian and the Salutatorian had cords that were different than the rest of the students. I was graduating with a turquoise cord that represented honors.

We sat in the chairs in alphabetical order based on our last names as we waited to be called. Henry Hooper sat to my right whole Christina Harman sat on my left. I soon grew bored with the ceremony as the Valedictorian went on and on with her speech. I began twirling my cord around my fingers and swung them around until I even ended up growing bored of that. I prayed the principal would just take over and start handing out the diplomas because I could not handle spending any more time listening to these speeches. They were always the same. Talking about our past few years of high school and how now it was time to branch out. We get it! We've all come a long way!

After what seemed like eternity, the principal finally come up to the podium and began calling students' names. Once he got to the 'G's, my row stood up to get ready to walk across the stage. He called Christina Harman's name after the 'G's were finished. She walked across the stage, making her way towards the principal to get her diploma. I was next so I prepared myself. I took in a deep breath and looked out at the audience to see if I could find my mother. When I spotted her, she was sitting in the fourth row behind were all of the seniors were seated. She had a huge smile beaming on her face and a camera ready in her hand.

"Nike Hecate." The principal called my name. I took in one last deep breath and tucked a piece of my dark brown hair behind my ear before I made my way to receive my diploma. The principal handed me my diploma to my left hand while shaking my right. We smiled at the photographer that was just below the stage so getting my diploma would be documented. It was now official. I was now a high school graduate. I made my way back to my seat as I waited for the other students to get their diplomas as well.

Once the ceremony was complete and my fellow graduates and I had recessed out of the stadium, we waited out front for our families to come and join us. I saw my mother walking towards me instantly, sensing her getting closer. I smiled brightly at her and her returned my smile with one just as bright. She enveloped me in a huge hug and I wrapped my arms around her as well. She took my picture of me in my cap and gown. Once she was done with just the pictures of me alone, she asked one of the passing parents to take a picture of the two of us together. The lady took our picture and I told my mom I would meet her at the car so I could go return my gown to the office. I walked out into the parking lot in my black short dress that I wore under my gown. My mom was already sitting in the passenger seat of my '67 red Ford Mustang.

"Alright." I smiled at her. "Ready to head home?"

"Ready when you are. I'm so proud of you Nike." My mother said.

I smiled even brighter and lowered the top of the car. It was too warm outside in this San Diego summer weather to have the top up. My mom's gorgeous brown hair was blowing in the wind as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you excited for your summer to finally begin now?" My mother asked to make small talk as we drove home.

"Yeah, I'm excited, granted I'll be working all summer but I'm sure I'll still have some fun."

"I already told you, you don't have to help me down at the shop. Kim will be helping me out so you can still go do what you what. It's your last summer before you go off to college. I want you to have some fun."

"I know mom. I need the money though and besides, you still have a lot to teach me before I can head off to college." I said with a shrug. "I'll take some days off when I need too, ok?"

"I just don't want you wasting away your summer. I can teach you whenever you want; it doesn't necessarily need to be this summer."

I nodded my head as a way to tell her I understood. My mom owned a fortune telling shop. She had the gift of being able to see the future and she used that to help us pay the bills. She does readings for anyone who wants one and she has become pretty known in this town. My great grandmother started this shop when she moved her from the Basque Country in Spain to sunny California.

I still had a lot to learn from my mother though about the trade. My mother could see a vision just by touching someone. What she excelled in, I lacked. I still used tarot cards for readings. She tells me that I will have it down in no time I just need to have patience and focus. Visions just never were my thing. My mother told me that there are always things that some witches shine more in compared to another, I just hadn't found mine yet, so until I did I was just in charge of appointments and cleaning up at the shop.

"Mom, I don't know why, but I feel like this summer is going to change everything." I smiled. I tilted my head back a bit and let the wind run through my hair as we drove home.


End file.
